My admissions horror story involved an interview for a graduate program. I prepared for weeks, knew all the answers to the potential questions. But on the day of the interview, there were technical glitches with the video call software. I couldn't hear the interviewers properly at times and they couldn't see my presentation clearly. Despite trying to fix it, the whole interview was a mess and I didn't get accepted. It was so frustrating as I felt my real potential wasn't shown.
One of my admissions horror stories was when I applied to a very competitive university. I sent in all my documents on time, but they claimed they never received my transcript. I had to go through a lot of hassle with my high school registrar to get another copy sent, and in the end, it was found that the university had misfiled it. It was extremely stressful as I thought my application would be rejected just because of their mistake.
There was a student who applied to multiple medical schools. One school sent out an acceptance letter by mistake, only to revoke it later saying it was an error. This put the student in a really difficult situation. They had already declined other offers based on that false acceptance. It was a huge emotional rollercoaster for them.
Sure. One admissions horror story is when a student sent in all their application materials on time, but the college's system lost their file. They had to scramble to resend everything and prove they had originally submitted on time. It was a huge headache and caused a lot of stress as they worried they wouldn't be considered for admission.
A common one is the late notification. Some students wait for months to hear back from a school, and when they finally do, it's too late to consider other options. For example, a friend of mine was waiting for a decision from a university until August, and by then, most other good schools had filled their seats.
One horror story is when a student had all their application materials in on time, but due to a technical glitch in the college's system, their application was marked as incomplete. They had to scramble to prove that they had submitted everything correctly, which was extremely stressful.
One common element is administrative errors. Like the college losing application documents or making mistakes in data entry. Another is miscommunication. For example, the applicant not getting clear information about requirements. And sometimes, there are issues with the review process, such as important parts of an application being overlooked, as I mentioned before.
A young man named Mike had a setback in his junior year due to an illness which affected his grades. But he didn't let that stop him. He worked hard to improve his grades in his senior year. He also had a talent for music. He sent in a video of himself playing the piano along with his application. The college admissions team saw his determination and his extra - curricular talent and he was admitted to a top - tier university.
There was this time I was in an old hotel. I was staying in a room on the top floor. In the middle of the night, I heard faint footsteps in the hallway. Then, the doorknob started to rattle as if someone was trying to get in. I called the front desk but no one answered. I pushed a chair against the door and sat there trembling until morning.
Sure. A student was told by a college counselor at their high school that a certain college didn't require an essay for admission. So, the student didn't write one. However, when they applied, they found out that the essay was indeed mandatory. This put the student at a huge disadvantage and they ended up not getting accepted.
One success story is of my friend Jane. She had a mediocre GPA but a really high LSAT score. She also had great letters of recommendation from her professors who knew about her strong work ethic in class projects. She wrote a very personal and engaging statement about her passion for law, especially in the area of environmental law. This combination got her into a top - tier law school.
One common element is miscommunication. For example, unclear information on the application requirements can lead to students submitting incomplete or wrong materials. Another is unfair evaluation. Sometimes, a single negative factor like a bad day during the interview can overshadow all the positive aspects of a student's application.